Rodentia: Diatomyidae) and Some Other Rock-Dwellers
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Russian J. Theriol. 13(2): 83–95 © RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF THERIOLOGY, 2014 Short muscles of the hand and foot in Laonastes aenigmamus (Rodentia: Diatomyidae) and some other rock-dwellers Petr P. Gambaryan & Olga V. Zherebtsova* ABSTRACT. The short muscles of the hand and foot in the relict rock rat Laonastes aenigmamus Jenkins et al., 2005 (Rodentia: Diatomyidae) were studied for the first time. Some other rock-dwellers, Ctenodac- tylus gundi, Chinchilla lanigera, Ochotona macrotis, as well as Ochotona dauurica, inhabiting the plain landscapes, were also included in the morphological analysis for comparative purposes. In spite of the different localities of pikas, the structure of the short muscles of the hand and foot in both species of Ochotona is practically identical. At the same time the pikas differ substantially from the investigated rodents by a number of features of the short muscles: by the absence of the mm. palmaris brevis and add. digiti secundi in the hand and m. abd. metatarsi V in the foot; by the absence of the typical mm. lumbricales in the hand and the whole absence of these muscles in the foot; by the presence only one belly of the m. abd. digiti quinti in the hand instead of two bellies in rodents. In all studied forms, the structure of the m. add. digiti quinti in the hand and the mm. interossei both in the hand and foot, are characterized by a great similarity. Among the three investigated rodents, the most essential differences of the short muscles are connected with the reduction of the first fingers in the hand and foot in Ctenodactylus and Chinchilla. It was indicated that in Laonastes the state of the mm. lumbricales is evidently the most primitive. KEY WORDS: Chinchilla, Ctenodactylus, Laonastes, Ochotona, short muscles of the hand and foot. Petr P. Gambaryan [[email protected]], Olga V. Zherebtsova [[email protected]], Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Universitetskaya emb. 1, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia. Короткие мышцы кисти и стопы у Laonastes aenigmamus (Rodentia: Diatomyidae) и некоторых других скальных обитателей П.П. Гамбарян, О.В. Жеребцова РЕЗЮМЕ. Впервые проведено изучение коротких мышц кисти и стопы у реликтовой скальной крысы Laonastes aenigmamus Jenkins et al., 2005 (Rodentia: Diatomyidae). В сравнительный морфоло- гический анализ включены и другие обитатели скал: Ctenodactylus gundi, Chinchilla lanigera, Ochotona macrotis так же, как и Ochotona dauurica, населяющая равнинные ландшафты. Несмотря на различ- ные местообитания пищух, строение коротких мышц кисти и стопы у двух видов Ochotona практи- чески идентично. В то же время по ряду особенностей коротких мышц пищухи существенно отличаются от исследованных грызунов: отсутствием mm. palmaris brevis и add. digiti secunda в кисти и m. abd. metatarsi V в стопе; отсутствием типичных mm. lumbricales в кисти и полным отсутствием этих мышц в стопе; наличием только одного брюшка m. abd. digiti quinti в кисти вместо двух у грызунов. У всех изученных форм строение m. adductor digiti quinti в кисти и mm. interossei как в кисти, так и в стопе характеризуется большим сходством. Наиболее существенные различия в строении коротких мышц у трех исследованных грызунов связаны с редукцией первых пальцев на кисти и стопе у Ctenodactylus и у Chinchilla. Показано, что у Laonastes состояние mm. lumbricales, по-видимому, наиболее примитивное. КЛЮЧЕВЫЕ СЛОВА: Chinchilla, Ctenodactylus, Laonastes, Ochotona, короткие мышцы кисти и стопы. Introduction lots of plants among the rocks that would dry out in open landscapes; second, it is easier to find cover from Recently described relict rodent Laonastes aenig- predators under the rock debris. It is quite possible that mamus Jenkins et al., 2005 (hereafter Laonastes) (Ro- Laonastes is capable of jumps from one stone to anoth- dentia: Diatomyidae) inhabits the rocky landscapes in er, rescuing from predators. In this connection, the Laos (Jenkins et al., 2005). These habitats are charac- short muscles of the hand and foot in Laonastes were terized by certain attractive conditions: first, there are studied to reveal the specific features of their structure * Corresponding author and work during the locomotion. 84 P.P. Gambaryan & O.V. Zherebtsova Figure 1. The hand (left, A–D) from the volar side and the foot (left, A´–D´) from the plantar side: A, A´ — Laonastes aenigmamus; B, B´ — Ctenodactylus gundi; C, C´ — Chinchilla lanigera; D, D´ — Ochotona dauurica. Ctenodactylus gundi Rothmann, 1776 (hereafter brought closer together with one or another of these Ctenodactylus) (Rodentia: Ctenodactylidae) from North groups by different authors (Jenkins et al., 2005; Daw- Africa, Chinchilla lanigera Bennett, 1829 (hereafter son et al., 2006; Huchon et al., 2007). At the same time Chinchilla) (Rodentia: Chinchillidae) from South Amer- Ochotona macrotis, in contrast with previous three ica, Ochotona macrotis Günther, 1875 (hereafter forms, is the representative of another order, Lagomor- Ochotona) (Lagomorpha: Ochotonidae) from Asia, as pha, though it is characterized by a similar size of body well as Laonastes, are rock dwelling forms and proba- and mode of life (Hoffmann & Smith, 2005). bly similar to him on their locomotor adaptations. There- In the structure of the hand and foot of the three fore, these animals were also included in the morpho- studied rodents there are a number of common features. logical analysis of the short muscles of the hand and First, the structure of their calluses, strongly protruding foot for comparison with Laonastes. Ochotona dauuri- on the volar side of the hand and the plantar side of the ca Pallas, 1776, inhabiting the plain landscapes, was foot, attracts the attention (Fig. 1A–C´). Besides finger also studied since for analysis of the adaptive special- calluses, the well developed pads are located at the ization both ecological forms of Ochotona must be bases of the hand claws. During the animals landing on considered. the stones, just these finger pads are apparently the first On the other side, at present Ctenodactylus and to touch the surface and keep the paws of rodents from Chinchilla belong to different infraorders, Ctenodacty- slipping. lomorphi and Hystricognathi, respectively (Dieterlen, In Ochotona, in contrast with investigated rodents, 2005; Woods & Kilpatrick, 2005). Laonastes was a principally different adaptation is observed. Its hands Short muscles of the hand and foot in Laonastes 85 and feet are covered by coarse hairs that similarly to like that in Ctenodactylus, is not developed. However, calluses prevents probably from slipping during the in Chinchilla, just like in Ctenodactylus, from this animals movement in the rocky landscapes (Fig. 1D, D´). thickening and from the internal surface of the callus A number of long and short muscles control the cover, the muscle bundles pass from right to left (Fig. movements of the hand and foot. Since the long mus- 2C). Besides, the muscle bundles (both the longitudinal cles were described separately (Gambaryan et al., 2013), to the first digit, and transversal in the thickness of the in this work, the descriptions of actually hand and foot medial callus) run from the prepollex, locating on the muscles and their comparative analysis were conduct- medial side of the hand. ed. The morphofunctional features of the short muscles In Ochotona, this muscle is absent. will be discussed in the next communication. M. abductor digiti quinti (Figs. 2–4). Besides two All studied forms of mammals are regarded in con- homologues of the m. palmaris brevis described above, cordance with the classification after Wilson and Reed- in all the three species of rodents, there is another er (2005). superficial muscle, locating deeper than the m. palmaris brevis. It originates by two independent bellies: one Material and methods goes from the distal edge of the prepollex, and the second belly begins from the top of the os pisiforme, Three species of Rodentia and two species of Lago- and both converge into a single tendon (Fig. 2A´, B´, morpha from the collections of the Zoological Institute C´). The latter is inserted on the proximal end of the of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ZIN, Saint Pe- lateral side of the first phalanx of digit V. tersburg) were investigated: the Laotian rock rat, Laon- In Ochotona, there is only one belly, going from the astes aenigmamus Jenkins et al., 2005 (n = 2; ZIN os pisiforme and terminating by two thin tendons (Figs. 99491, 99496); the gundi, Ctenodactylus gundi Roth- 3, 4D). To medial of them, the tendinous brunch ex- mann, 1776 (n = 1; ZIN 6641); the long-tailed chinchil- tends from the space between the fifth and fourth termi- la, Chinchilla lanigera Bennett, 1829 (n = 2; ZIN nal tendons of the m. fl. digitorum profundus. This 102069 (field numbers — 576a, 576b)); the Daurian brunch is apparently homologous to the mm. lumbri- pika, Ochotona dauurica Pallas, 1776 (n = 2; ZIN cales. In the result all three tendons fuse together over 102070 (262, 264)) and the large-eared pika, Ochotona the metacarpo–phalangeal sesamoids of digit V and macrotis Günther, 1875 (n = 1; ZIN 102071 (240)). form its typical perforating tendon. Adult specimens were preserved in 70º ethanol or 5% Mm. lumbricales (Figs. 2–4). In all the three spe- formalin. The short muscles of the hand and foot were cies of rodents, besides usual connection with the ten- examined with a binocular stereomicroscope Leica MZ6 don of the m. fl. digitorum profundus, these muscles using the total preparations. have more or less strong connection with the tendons of the m. fl. digitorum sublimis. In Laonastes, from the lateral side of a common Results plate of the m. fl. digitorum profundus, the muscle belly begins, which is also attached to the lateral tendon of Because the structure of the short muscles of the the m. fl. digitorum sublimis (Fig. 2A´). On the surface hand and foot in both species of pikas are identical, of the latter, two tendons are soon formed.